Peace of Canterbury facts for kids
The Peace of Canterbury was an important agreement made during the Second Barons' War. This war was a big fight between Henry III of England, the King, and a group of powerful nobles called barons. The barons were led by Simon de Montfort. The agreement was signed in Canterbury, a city in England, sometime between August 12 and 15, 1264. King Henry III and his son, Edward (who later became King Edward I), were part of this agreement.
Contents
What Was the Peace of Canterbury?
The Peace of Canterbury was a deal that tried to settle the big disagreements between King Henry III and the barons. It was signed after the barons won a major battle. This agreement was very important because it tried to change how England was governed.
Building on the Mise of Lewes
The Peace of Canterbury followed an earlier agreement called the Mise of Lewes. This first agreement was forced on King Henry after he lost the Battle of Lewes on May 14, 1264. The Mise of Lewes set up a temporary government. It created a group of three leaders: Simon de Montfort, Gilbert de Clare (Earl of Gloucester), and Stephen Bersted, who was the Bishop of Chichester. These three then chose a council of nine men to help run the country. This meant that King Henry lost a lot of his power, and the barons, led by Simon de Montfort, took control. This setup was supposed to be temporary, just until a lasting peace could be found.
What the Agreement Said
The Peace of Canterbury went even further than the Mise of Lewes. It said that if the conditions of the Mise of Lewes couldn't be met, then the council of barons would stay in power for a very long time. They would rule throughout King Henry's entire reign and even into the reign of his son, Edward. The agreement also talked about making changes to the church and the royal government. One key change was to stop foreigners from holding important jobs in the government.
A King Under Pressure
This agreement was very bad for King Henry and Prince Edward. They likely agreed to it because they had no choice. Prince Edward was being held hostage by the barons after their defeat at Lewes. On August 15, 1264, the document was sent to King Louis IX of France. King Louis had been trying to help settle the arguments between the King and the barons. However, King Louis had already rejected the terms of the Mise of Lewes because they were too strict on the King. The Peace of Canterbury was even stricter. The barons might have hoped it would pressure King Louis to help them reach a final peace. But King Louis was very angry about the new terms. He reportedly said he would rather work as a farmer than see a king ruled in such a way.
The End of Baronial Rule
After King Louis rejected the agreement, Simon de Montfort's government started to face problems. In the spring of 1265, Gilbert de Clare, one of the main barons, switched sides and joined the King's supporters. Soon after, Prince Edward managed to escape from his captivity. The barons' rule finally ended on August 4, 1265. On that day, Simon de Montfort was defeated and killed at the Battle of Evesham. After this battle, King Henry III got all his royal powers back.
